Higher Education Access

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We believe that all capable students should have the opportunity to pursue higher education.

How do we align structures and cultures for this vision to become a reality?

In a nutshell, how do we create policies and structures that make it possible for more people to pursue postsecondary education?

Our Role:

Seen through this lens, most, if not all, of the Forum’s work could be considered as access-oriented. Additionally, several of our past and current projects specifically focus on access issues. We are currently engaged in several research projects examining the issue of access to higher education for immigrant students. The issue is often contentious, especially when it comes to the immigrants’ documented status. This makes it even more important for the Forum to engage in rigorous and responsible research on the issue, to enable scholars and practitioners to understand the whole issue and make informed decisions that will hopefully lead to greater educational attainment for the betterment of our society.

The National Forum is seeking to re-situate this problem as one shaping the public interest and foster a concern among educators that will lead to a greater commitment from our professional associations and inter-jurisdictional agencies. Research conducted by the National Forum reveals that in the absence of a national policy on immigration, access decisions are left to institutional, state and local jurisdictions. Information to guide these decisions — the de facto policies that intersect immigration and college access — is inconsistent, even among those who indicate strong interest in the issue. Local biases and individual prerogatives guide institutional decisions in many cases, and well-qualified students are being excluded from attendance.